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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 469 records · Page 26

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project

This report is the eleventh in the series of Technical Summary reports for the Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project, authorized under NASA Contract DEN3-167, and sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE). This report was prepared by Garrett Turbine Engine Company, A Division of the Garrett Corporation, and includes information provided by Ford Motor Company, the Standard Oil Company, and AiResearch Casting Company. This report covers plans and progress for the period July 1, 1985 through June 30, 1986. Technical progress during the reported period was highlighted by the 85-hour endurance run of an all-ceramic engine operating in the 2000 to 2250 F temperature regime. Component development continued in the areas of the combustion/fuel injection system, regenerator and seals system, and ceramic turbine rotor attachment design. Component rig testing saw further refinements. Ceramic materials showed continued improvements in required properties for gas turbine applications; however, continued development is needed before performance and reliability goals can be set.

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Trends in liability affecting technical writers

Liability of technical writers for defective products is explored. Documents generated during a product's life cycle (including design memos, design tests, clinical trials, trial use reports, letters, and proposals) become relevant because they are likely to become the only available means of showing that the product was not defectively designed. These documents become the evidence that the product underwent balanced and well considered planning, development, testing, quality control, and field testing. The predicted increased involvement of technical writers in the prevention and defense of product liability claims is cited in view of a greater number of cases turning on "failure to warn".

Driskill, L. P.↗

Small Business Innovation Research. Program solicitation. Closing date: July 21, 1992

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invites small businesses to submit Phase 1 proposals in response to its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Solicitation 92-1. Firms with research or research and development capabilities (R/R&D) in science or engineering in any of the areas listed are encouraged to participate. This, the tenth annual SBIR solicitation by NASA, describes the program, identifies eligibility requirements, describes the proposal evaluation and award selection process, and provides other information to assist those interested in participating in NASA's SBIR program. It also identifies, in Section 8.0, the technical topics and subtopics in which SBIR Phase 1 proposals are solicited in 1992. These topics and subtopics cover a broad range of current NASA interests but do not necessarily include all areas in which NASA plans or currently conducts research. The NASA SBIR program seeks innovative approaches that respond to the needs, technical requirements, and new opportunities described in the subtopics. The focus is on innovation through the use of emerging technologies, novel applications of existing technologies, exploitation of scientific breakthroughs, or new capabilities or major improvements to existing technologies. NASA plans to select about 320 high-quality research or research and development proposals for Phase 1 contract awards on the basis of this Solicitation. Phase 1 contracts are normally six months in duration and funded up to $50,000, including profit. Selections will be based on the competitive merits of the offers and on NASA needs and priorities.

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Report to the administrator by the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel on the Skylab program. Volume 1: Summary report

Contractor and NASA technical management for the development and manufacture of the Skylab modules is reviewed with emphasis on the following management controls: configuration and interface management; vendor control; and quality control of workmanship. A review of the modified two-stage Saturn V launch vehicle which focused on modifications to accommodate the Skylab payload; resolution of prior flight anomalies; and changes in personnel and management systems is presented along with an evaluation of the possible age-life and storage problems for the Saturn 1-B launch vehicle. The NASA program management's visibility and control of contractor operations, systems engineering and integration, the review process for the evaluation of design and flight hardware, and the planning process for mission operations are investigated. It is concluded that the technical management system for development and fabrication of the modules, spacecraft, and launch vehicles, the process of design and hardware acceptance reviews, and the risk assessment activities are satisfactory. It is indicated that checkout activity, integrated testing, and preparations for and execution of mission operation require management attention.

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History of the Italian San Marco equatorial mobile range

Events leading to the development of the San Marco Equatorial Range are presented. Included are background information leading to the cooperative space program between the United States and Italy, conceptual planning, training activities, equipment design and fabrication, and range utilization. The technical support provided the San Marco Program by Scout Project Office, and other NASA installations is described.

Nesbitt, H. N.↗

Graphite/polyimides state-of-the-art panel discussion

A brief overview of current and planned applications of graphite/polyimide composites is presented. A short discussion of technical problems delaying the application of graphite polyimide composites in aerospace structures and near-term solutions to these problems are also included.

Curley, R. C.↗

NASA space biology accomplishments, 1982

Summaries of NASA's Space Biology Program projects are provided. The goals, objectives, accomplishments, and future plans of each project are described in this publication as individual technical summaries.

Halstead, T. W.↗

Teleoperator human factors study

The progress made on the Teleoperator Human Factors Study program is summarized. Technical and programmatic problems that were encountered were discussed along with planned activities. The report contains four sections: Work Performed, Future Work, Problems Encountered, and Cost Information

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Teleoperator human factors study

The progress made on the Teleoperator Human Factors Study program is summarized. Technical and programmatic problems that were encountered are discussed along with planned activity. Work performed, future work, problems encountered, and cost information comprise the topics addressed herein.

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The structuring of NASA launch contracts

The designing of STS Launch Services Agreements (LSAs) in order to balance the U.S. public policy concerns and the needs of domestic and foreign users is described. The subject matter of an LSA is defined by the customer's needs; when and what will be launched is also stated in the LSA. The technical requirements of the launch are contained in the Payload Integration Plan. The price for launching payloads is determined based on factors such as payload control weight and length. The allocation of risks and liability for damage to person and property involved in STS operations is examined; a cross-policy waiver governs property damage, and third-party liability coverage is required. Consideration is given to the policy governing reflying of a commercial mission in the event of an initial failure and to modified LSAs.

O'Brien, John E.↗

Mission to Planet Earth

To preserve the earth, it is necessary to understand the tremendously complex interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, and man's activities deeply enough to construct models that can predict the consequences of our actions and help us make sound environmental, energy, agriculture, and economic decisions. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's suggested share and the centerpiece of the U.S. contribution to understanding the environment, the Global Change Research Program. The first major element of the mission would be the Earth Observing System, which would give the simultaneous, comprehensive, long-term earth coverage lacking previously. NASA's Geosynchronous Earth Observatory with two additional similar spacecraft would be orbited by the U.S., plus one each by Japan and the European Space Agency. These would be the first geostationary satellites to span all the disciplines of the earth sciences. A number of diverse data gathering payloads are also planned to be carried aboard the Polar Orbiting Platform. Making possible the long, continuous observations planned and coping with the torrent of data acquired will require technical gains across a wide front. Finally, how all this data is consolidated and disseminated by the EOS Data and Information System is discussed.

Tilford, Shelby G.↗

High speed rotorcraft - Comparison of leading concepts and technology needs

Design studies have recently been completed by Bell, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Sikorsky with the goal of identifying technology needs of high speed rotorcraft concepts. The general study guidelines were for 450-kt cruise speeds and low downwash characteristics. These concepts included the the folding tiltrotor, the high speed tiltrotor, the variable diameter tiltrotor, a tip-drive stopped rotor and the tilt wing. The studies have also identified technology needs of these concepts with the objective of defining a systematic program of technology development to increase confidence in the subsystems and components and achieving a low-risk design capability in the year 2000. Each contractor has reported independently on his efforts. This paper is a survey of the contractor efforts taken together, with regard to concepts, selection methods, technical issues (common and critical technologies), technology benefits and the technology plan recommendations.

Talbot, Peter D.↗

Preliminary Report of NRC Twin Otter Operations in the 1997 Southern Great Plains Experiment

From June 18 to July 17, 1997, the NRC Twin Otter atmospheric research aircraft was operated from Oklahoma City, U.S.A., in the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) Hydrology Experiment. The primary role of the aircraft was to measure the vertical fluxes of sensible and latent heat, CO2, ozone and momentum in the atmospheric boundary layer, along with supporting meteorological and radiometric data. Approximately 400 flux runs and 100 soundings were flown in 27 project flights over rural areas near Oklahoma City. This preliminary report documents the flight program, lists the instrumentation aboard the aircraft, and presents a summary of run-averaged data from each flux run. These data are from the in-field analysis and must be considered preliminary. A re-analysis incorporating updated calibrations is planned for the fall of 1997 followed by a more comprehensive technical report.

MacPherson, J. Ian↗

NASA Image eXchange (NIX)

This paper discusses the technical aspects of and the project background for the NASA Image exchange (NIX). NIX, which provides a single entry point to search selected image databases at the NASA Centers, is a meta-search engine (i.e., a search engine that communicates with other search engines). It uses these distributed digital image databases to access photographs, animations, and their associated descriptive information (meta-data). NIX is available for use at the following URL: http://nix.nasa.gov./NIX, which was sponsored by NASAs Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program, currently serves images from seven NASA Centers. Plans are under way to link image databases from three additional NASA Centers. images and their associated meta-data, which are accessible by NIX, reside at the originating Centers, and NIX utilizes a virtual central site that communicates with each of these sites. Incorporated into the virtual central site are several protocols to support searches from a diverse collection of database engines. The searches are performed in parallel to ensure optimization of response times. To augment the search capability, browse functionality with pre-defined categories has been built into NIX, thereby ensuring dissemination of 'best-of-breed' imagery. As a final recourse, NIX offers access to a help desk via an on-line form to help locate images and information either within the scope of NIX or from available external sources.

vonOfenheim. William H. C.↗

Advanced Risk Reduction Tool (ARRT) Special Case Study Report: Science and Engineering Technical Assessments (SETA) Program

This special case study report presents the Science and Engineering Technical Assessments (SETA) team's findings for exploring the correlation between the underlying models of Advanced Risk Reduction Tool (ARRT) relative to how it identifies, estimates, and integrates Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) activities. The special case study was conducted under the provisions of SETA Contract Task Order (CTO) 15 and the approved technical approach documented in the CTO-15 Modification #1 Task Project Plan.

Kirsch, Paul J.↗

Solar Power Satellite Development: Advances in Modularity and Mechanical Systems

Space solar power satellites require innovative concepts in order to achieve economically and technically feasible designs. The mass and volume constraints of current and planned launch vehicles necessitate highly efficient structural systems be developed. In addition, modularity and in-space deployment will be enabling design attributes. This paper reviews the current challenges of launching and building very large space systems. A building block approach is proposed in order to achieve near-term solar power satellite risk reduction while promoting the necessary long-term technology advances. Promising mechanical systems technologies anticipated in the coming decades including modularity, material systems, structural concepts, and in-space operations are described

Belvin, W. Keith↗

Flight Planning Branch NASA Co-op Tour

This semester I worked with the Flight Planning Branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center. I learned about the different aspects of flight planning for the International Space Station as well as the software that is used internally and ISSLive! which is used to help educate the public on the space program. I had the opportunity to do on the job training in the Mission Control Center with the planning team. I transferred old timeline records from the planning team's old software to the new software in order to preserve the data for the future when the software is retired. I learned about the operations of the International Space Station, the importance of good communication between the different parts of the planning team, and enrolled in professional development classes as well as technical classes to learn about the space station.

Marr, Aja M.↗

Assessment of the State-of-the-Art of System-Wide Safety and Assurance Technologies

Since its initiation, the System-wide Safety Assurance Technologies (SSAT) Project has been focused on developing multidisciplinary tools and techniques that are verified and validated to ensure prevention of loss of property and life in NextGen and enable proactive risk management through predictive methods. To this end, four technical challenges have been listed to help realize the goals of SSAT, namely (i) assurance of flight critical systems, (ii) discovery of precursors to safety incidents, (iii) assuring safe human-systems integration, and (iv) prognostic algorithm design for safety assurance. The objective of this report is to provide an extensive survey of SSAT-related research accomplishments by researchers within and outside NASA to get an understanding of what the state-of-the-art is for technologies enabling each of the four technical challenges. We hope that this report will serve as a good resource for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of the SSAT technical challenges, and also be useful in the future for project planning and resource allocation for related research.

Roychoudhury, Indranil↗